Page 38 of An Arranged Betrothal with a Rogue

The viscountess sniffled, wiping at her eyes, even as they continued to pour tears. She hiccupped, trying to catch her breath, and Rowena poured her a glass of water from the pitcher sitting on the table. She handed it to her mother, helping her hold it until she could steady her trembling hands. She waited for her mother to take a sip, then helped her put it down on the table.

At last, Lady Worthingwood spoke.

“Your father came home in the early hours of the morning,” she said, squeezing the handkerchief tightly. He was completely in his cups, and . . .” She trailed off, her lip trembling as she began to sob again, quietly this time. “Oh, darling. I feel as if I have failed you as a mother. All that is happening . . . it’s my fault because I cannot stop it.”

Rowena reached over and took her mother’s hand. She gently squeezed it and gave her mother a loving, sympathetic smile.

“No, Mother,” she said, fighting back tears of her own. It wounded her deeply to see her mother in such distress. “You have done nothing but set a fine example to your daughters. We love you, and we are so proud to call you Mother. You mustn’t be so hard on yourself.”

Tears continued to stream down her mother’s cheeks, and she shook her head.

“Darling,” she said, “I do not wish you to be forced into an arranged marriage. All I ever hoped in the world for my girls was that you marry the men of your choosing, for the reasons you chose, and that they cared for you as a husband should. And now, you must do as your father says, and there is nothing I can do to stop it.”

Rowena bit her lip. She knew her mother was upset about the situation, but she hadn’t guessed her mother blamed herself to such an extent. It was bad enough knowing her mother felt she should have done more to convince her father not to make her marry just to keep them from going broke. She was devastated to hear her mother say that she felt she had failed as a mother.

Before she could offer more comfort to the viscountess, the butler entered the room.

“Pardon me,” he said tenderly, clearly sensitive to the viscountess’s distress, “for intruding, my lady, but Lord Elsbrook has asked to see Miss Whitworth.”

The viscountess’s head snapped up toward the butler, then toward Rowena, her expression one of confusion. Rowena patted her arm and gestured to the handkerchief in her hands. Lady Worthingwood wiped her eyes quickly and cleared her throat. Rowena offered her another drink of water and brushed back some wild strands of her hair.

When her mother looked more like herself, Rowena turned to the butler and nodded.

“You may let him in,” she said.

A second later, the baron entered the room. He bowed to the women, then smiled in Rowena’s direction. Rowena’s heart began to beat faster, and she couldn’t help noticing how handsome he looked that morning.

“Good day, Lady Worthingwood, Miss Whitworth,” he said.

The viscountess smiled at him weakly as she rose.

“Good day, Lord Elsbrook,” she said. “How kind of you to call so . . . unexpectedly. I shall have some fresh tea brought up.”

The baron bowed again, smiling warmly at her ladyship. Rowena couldn’t be sure, but she thought she saw sympathy in his eyes. Could he tell that her mother had just been crying? And did he care if he had?

As her mother left the room, Rowena glanced toward the corner where Sally sat. She had a book in her hands, but Rowena could see she was actually peeking over the top of it, keeping a close eye on her and the baron.

Benji, sensing a change in the room, roused from his nap and raised his head. Before Sally could stop him, the little dog leapt off the sofa and rushed towards the baron. When he stopped at Lord Elsbrook’s feet and jumped up to put his paws on the man’s immaculate trousers, Rowena couldn’t help but laugh. It took her a moment to realize that the baron was not laughing too. In fact, judging from the expression on his face, one might think he was not at all fond of dogs.

“Benji,” Rowena called, trying to get the dog to come to her, but he ignored her, continuing to stare up at the frowning baron, his paws still on his trousers. Finally, the baron took a slow step away from the little dog, leaving Benji sitting looking up at him, tilting his head sideways and whimpering in confusion. He looked to his mistress, then back at the new friend he so desperately wanted to make, unable to understand the rejection.

Rowena’s heart broke for him. She regarded the baron with a frown. She understood that some people didn’t like dogs, but she hated to see Benji’s feelings get hurt. Finally, she nodded at Sally, who came over and scooped Benji up, petting him and taking him back to her seat. She noticed how relieved the baron looked.

“Please, forgive Benji, he is young and hasn’t yet learned all his manners,” she explained, still troubled by the baron’s reaction to her beloved pet. She decided to change the subject. “I had not expected to see you so soon, my lord.”

To Rowena’s relief, the baron smiled too, looking mightily pleased with himself.

“I saw no reason to delay,” he said, “and I have come with important tidings.” At the enthusiasm in his voice, Rowena felt her spirits rise.

Just then, the viscountess returned, with a servant carrying a tray of tea following behind her. Rowena turned to the baron and smiled.

“It seems as though you can tell us all at once,” she said. “If you wish to, that is.”

Lord Elsbrook looked at the viscountess and then back at Rowena. He thought for a moment before nodding.

“I see no harm in that,” he said. “Hopefully, this will be good news for all. I have spoken with your father, Miss Whitworth. He has agreed to give me his blessing to ask for your hand in marriage.”

The viscountess gasped, putting a hand to her cheek. Rowena’s heart thudded in her chest; she felt almost faint with joy. She had never guessed her father would give up the deal he’d made with Lord Axenshire so easily, not even if he’d had another offer for her hand. She was glad her mother was there to hear what the baron had to say. She hoped it would put her mind at ease and keep her from berating herself for Rowena’s situation, as she had been earlier.

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